She Changed
by WiEGoP
Summary: Riddles in Disguise, Episode 1. Chromia and Moonracer go to the planet Tlal to pick up some old friends. But not everything on the exotic planet is as peaceful as it seems and the team is forced to transform themselves in a way they had never expected.
1. Part 1

Episode One: She Changed

_It is the year 1988. The Female Autobots, under the command of Elita One, have won a major victory over their Decepticon foes: The complete destruction of the Decepticon Space Bridge. Forced to rely on the shuttles to transport energon to Cybertron, and hindered on Earth and other planets by the Autobots' Humanoid Defense, Training, and Education Program, the Decepticons' energy supplies have become cripplingly low. The Autobot Commanders, Optimus Prime and Elita One, agree to exchange some of their forces; some will return to Cybertron and others will head for Earth as the Autobots prepare to retake Cybertron and crush the Decepticon menace once and for all._

_* * *_

"Skree…tap" _Two hundred ninety-seven, _Chromia counted silently.

"Skreeeeeeeka…tap" _Two hundred ninety-eight._

"Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeekak…tap" _Two hundred ninety-nine. _Chromia glared at Moonracer who was sitting across the aisle. The green Autobot sharpshooter was staring out the window of the spaceship dragging her finger over and over on her armrest. _ Three hundred? _Chromia waited. But the other Autobot seemed distracted from tapping -- for now -- by stars. She was staring very intently, perhaps expecting that at any moment one unchanging dot of light would suddenly go nova; entranced by the one in a billion chance that something interesting would happen. For the first time in eight hundred thousand seven hundred forty nine point two astroseconds there was silence in the spaceship. Chromia finally unclenched her fists.

She hadn't had time to ding _all_ the dents out yet, and her manual digit hinges still creaked a little, but Firestar had still done an admirable job of patching Chromia up over the last couple…._what was the Earth term? _Chromia focused. It was a few sparks ahead of her primary processor, but now that it was quiet she knew it would come to her in a moment. It was one of the intermediary increments, longer than those Earth days, but shorter than Earth months or Earth years. She was chasing the word down her motherboard, and even though it was still flashing a few circuits ahead she knew that she would catch it soon. _Oh, that's right it's…._

"Skreeeeeeeeetaka…tap." _Three hundred_. Her fists clenched again with a rasping squeak. _Tap __**consistently**__ or don't tap at all!_ Chromia glared at Moonracer again, but kept her synthesizer clamped as the screechy sound of metal rubbing against metal echoed through the hold.

A deep mechanical voice rumbled through the whole ship, sounding everywhere at once."Tapping: Irritating. Cessation: Requested," Omega Supreme boomed, his normal monotone sounding unsettlingly close to annoyance. Moonracer jerked her hand up as if she had been touching white-hot steel, embarrassed that she had been caught scratching at the insides of their giant, living transport.

Then she gave a strangled, aggravated sigh, like an old shuttlecar shifting gears without putting on the brakes. "Are we almost there yet?" Moonracer nearly moaned, throwing her head back in frustration. Chromia didn't really want to answer her. She had already answered that question to the best of her ability too many times since they'd left Cybertron, and answering it again wouldn't get them to their destination any faster than _asking_ it would. Instead, she stared out the window at the stars that didn't seem to move, though she knew that Omega had to be travelling close to maximum velocity.

"Chromia?"

The older Autobot had the strongest urge to smash the rather pointed part of her forehead against the porthole window. If she managed to break it the passenger compartment would be exposed to the vacuum of space, and there was no sound in space. _That wouldn't stop her though, _Chromia realized, grimly,_ not when we have radios. _Still, if she didn't break the pane there was always the chance that the blow would knock her primary processor temporarily offline. A pretty good chance actually…

"Chromia?"

She turned. Moonracer had somehow soundlessly crossed the aisle and was sitting right next to her, peering at her with those bright blue optic sensors that even when she was bored and annoyed still radiated with a disgusting amount of perky, optimistic energy. "Chromia, do you know when we'll get there?"

_I will not snap. I will not snap. _Chromia repeated to herself as she eyed the enticingly thick and solid window pane. "No Moonracer." She said, her gears grinding with the effort of sounding casually annoyed rather than frustrated to the point of meltdown. "I don't know when we will be getting to Tlal." Moonracer slumped back in the seat. There was a long silence that Chromia would have enjoyed if she hadn't had the sinking suspicion that something was wrong. Moonracer never got this quiet, unless she was thinking. Thinking very hard. And Moonracer only thought very hard if she was too afraid to ask someone else for an answer. That someone else was almost always Chromia.

"Tlal," the Autobot car tentatively said at last, "Tlal is another name for Earth, right?"

It took Chromia a while to process what Moonracer was asking, which was probably for the best. The wait gave Moonracer time to realize that she had asked the wrong question. By the time Chromia had it figured out well enough to get angry Moonracer looked as disarmingly upset as a frightened Antillian Bumble Puppy. Chromia bit back the frustrated tirade welling up inside her, letting it out as one long, ragged sigh.

"No." She said flatly, though Moonracer had already gotten the message. _Now be quiet and leave it at that,_ Chromia begged. But as much as the younger 'Bot wanted to avoid getting a verbal overhauling, she needed to satisfy her curiosity more.

"Chromia?..."

"Okay Moonracer," snapped the blue Autobot, cutting her off almost instantly. Chromia would have loved silence, but if someone _had_ to talk you could bet your boron compressor she wasn't going to let it be Moonracer. "We are headed for Tlal, a planet that _isn't_ Earth, to drop off some supplies, refuel, and pick up Perceptor and Seaspray. Omega can't make the journey to Cybertron and back to Earth without stopping to refuel. Elita briefed us on this before we left. So, you should have been paying attention."

"I _was_ paying attention, or…I was…I tried to. I knew we we're headed for Earth eventually… For a 'brief' Elita had a lot to say to _you_, -- I was…distracted."

Chromia wagged her finger, "I'll say. I thought you were never gonna stop bothering those Airheadedbots."

"They're the Aerialbots…" Moonracer sulked, "And I'd never met them before. They seemed very nice, polite, _humble_. I wish they hadn't had to stay behind."

"You and your airplanes." Chromia muttered, looking out the window again. They appeared to be entering a star's system. _Please let this be Tlal's system._

"Are there organic flesh creatures on Tlal?"

Chromia resigned herself to dredging up the entire briefing, not just the steps she was focused on, from her memory chips. She stared out the window pretending to be too irritated to speak while the information uploaded. Uncharacteristically, Moonracer waited silently. "Yes," Chromia started, spitting out information in short choppy sentences as it was recalled. "There are organic humanoid creatures on Tlal. They call themselves Tlalakans. Seaspray, Perceptor, Bumblebee, and Cosmos made contact with them three Earth years ago when they freed them from Decepticon slavery. Perceptor and Seaspray have returned many times to trade weapons and technology for energon. Elita said the people are very similar to the Earth humans. But their civilization is smaller and primitive. Seaspray says they are very friendly. Seaspray fought hard to have them included in the humanoid defense, training, and education program. He's the one who works closest with these Tlalakans, Elita says. But we're only planning on being there for a few hours. Omega already dropped off their supplies on the way to Cybertron." _There, that has to be enough useless information, even for Moonracer._

"Why did Perceptor and Seaspray go along this time?"

Guessing at another 'Bot's motivation wasn't really her can of axel grease, so Chromia just shrugged with one arm. She was too tired of being annoyed to put any more effort into staying angry, but too stubborn to elaborate.

"Well if Perceptor's there it must be for _science_." Moonracer joked.

Chromia smiled. But only a little, she didn't want to encourage more conversation.

"Approaching: Tlal." Omega thundered to his two passengers. "Arrival Time: 328 astroseconds."

The two Autobots looked out the porthole as a gold and orange planet with four—no, five—moons swiftly grew closer. The reddish clouds made the planet look uninhabitable for most organic life, but the color came from the reflected light of the moons which tinted the swirling clouds of the upper atmosphere copper and yellow.

"Oooohhh" said Moonracer, "I'm so excited! I've never met organic flesh creatures before, have you?"

The view from the porthole now was only half space and half the gentle curve of the planet they were approaching. Chromia couldn't remember if she _had_ ever met organic creatures, though she tried to trace her thoughts back to the last time she had left Cybertron. _Have I ever left Cybertron?_ It must have been more than five million years ago at least. She kept quiet, and Moonracer was too distracted to notice that she hadn't answered. The ship shuddered as they entered the upper atmosphere and soon they were rapidly descending through the thick white clouds.

"Landing: Imminent. Passengers: Implement Landing Restraints."

As the two Female Autobots secured themselves, the ship broke through the cloud cover and Moonracer and Chromia got their first clear look at the surface of the planet. Omega passed high over a flat, grassy plateau that abruptly dropped off, ending in high cliffs. At the foot of the cliffs a thick forest of dark green trees spread over the lowlands, threaded through with twisting blue rivers. The dense jungle was peppered here and there with outcroppings of flat-topped mountains; rocky, steep, and barren of all vegetation. The giant Autobot spaceship followed the course of the largest river passing rapidly over miles of jungle until Chromia thought she could spot the forest's end.

Beyond the forest was a large bay surrounded by mountains, and beyond the mountains was a vast expanse of blue ocean. The wide river they followed emptied into the bay through a channel so straight that it must have been carved by sentients. On either side of the river's mouth was a beach that eventually gave way to rocky cliffs where the plateau met the ocean. Another river threaded one of these narrow bluffs, ending in a spectacular, stepped waterfall that fell into the lower valley before meeting the bay.

In the center of the bay, ringed by a protective dike, was the great floating city of the Tlalakans. Although it had been nearly destroyed over three years ago, sacrificed to free the planet from slavery, with Autobot assistance it had only taken a few months to completely rebuild. The platform the city rested on was packed with towers, temples, and tall stepped pyramids, all supported underwater by hundreds of massive stone pillars. Most of the tall, tan stone buildings had been brightly painted in geometric patterns of reds, blues, and yellows; as they had been centuries before Deceptitran had claimed the city as his own. Canals crisscrossed the pavement, connecting all parts of the city with the water. Countless bridges spanned the canals and connected buildings, sometimes hundreds of feet in the air.

If Chromia could have seen the city three years ago she would have been shocked by how much more alive it now seemed. The uniform dull tan had been replaced with a thousand different, colorful things. The docks that ringed the city were teeming with narrow gondolas. The streets, that three years ago had been almost empty except for little groups of droids and slaves, were now covered with tiny, vibrant, moving swarms of Tlalakans. There were Tlalakans in the doorways and Tlalakans in the walkways, and the waterways, and swimming in the bay with legs or fins. But the largest clot of Tlalakans waited by the landing pad that had been set up near the edge of the city.

Omega lurched slightly as he landed, multiple massive components unfolding from him and landing before his rocket mode, coming together to form his heavily armored landing gear. "Passengers: Disembark." he commanded, rather forcefully, as if he couldn't wait to be free of them. As they exited the ship Chromia was relieved to see Seaspray at the head of the assembled Tlalakans waiting at the bottom of Omega's boarding ramp. She didn't feel quite ready to wade through a sea of organic aliens without proper introductions first. Though neither of the Female Autobots knew the Naval Tactician that well, he was at least more familiar than the pink, squishy creatures that surrounded him.

"Chromia, Moonracer, Welcome to Tlal." Seaspray gargled, spreading his arms in a gesture of greeting above the surrounding aliens' heads. Chromia had forgotten what a strange voice the little Autobot had, and she only barely managed to hide her shock. She looked down, and gave an attempt at a gracious smile to the clumsy, bulky, motorboat. He only barely came up to her waist, and the tallest of the Tlalakans that surrounded him were only just taller than her knees.

"Thank you Seaspray," she replied, uncomfortable and unsure, but attempting to be diplomatic, "We're glad to be here. Please thank the Tlalakans for their hospitality." The Tlalakans seemed pleased by this, because the whole group of them cheered, and several started to wave their arms in the air, like they were trying to catch her attention. Moonracer crouched down to get a closer look at them as they swarmed around the docks like scraplets on a warm processor. Some of the men were already pulling wagons of pink, glowing energon cubes up Omega's ramp and into his cargo hold. As the pier became crowded many who had seen enough of the tall female robots jumped into the sea to escape the crush, swimming out into the shining blue waters of the bay in little schools.

"It will take a couple of hours to load up all of the energon," Seaspray explained. "We're still transporting it from the temple." He gestured proudly to a long line of dragon-headed gondolas stretching down the nearest canal, all loaded with stacks of cubes. "I'll be helping here, but if you would like to look around I'm sure that Alana will show you the city." Seaspray rested his hand on the shoulder of the female Tlalakan next to him, who gave the Female Autobots a friendly smile. There was a quality of brave confidence about Alana that Chromia in an instant unconsciously related to and respected, but the woman's eyes were welcoming and kind. She carried herself like a leader, and like a good leader who knows when to lead and when to follow.

"Oh! We would love to see the city." Moonracer said enthusiastically. She was now sitting cross-legged on the pier as a crowd of little Tlalakan children crawled over her legs. "Don't _you_ want to see the city Chromia?" Chromia peered down the crowded street visualizing herself kicking and squishing the teeming clots of organic creatures as she tried to step around them. Her processor began to whirr uncomfortably fast as it was bombarded with new information. Clothes, structures, tools, motifs, scenery, glimpses of customs, size, shape, category and age all bottlenecked at one point in her mind to assault Chromia's jumbled databanks. Getting a grip, she forced herself to focus only on the next step, the problem at hand, letting most of the information her processor was trying to gather slip through unrecorded.

"Ahh…" She looked down at the Tlalakan woman. "Do you think it's safe?"

Alana nodded confidently. "We Tlalakans are used to being around robots. Don't worry Chromia, we won't let ourselves be stepped on, and I would only be too happy to show you and Moonracer around our city. But I think there was someone here who wanted to speak with you, Chromia." There was a clanging sound near Moonracer's foot and Alana stooped down near the light green Autobot to scoop up a tiny Tlalakan child.

"Who?" Chromia asked as Alana arranged the toddler on her hip. The little boy fascinated Moonracer who leaned in to examine him more closely.

"Oh look he's go.."

"He's waiting for you on the beach," Alana explained to Chromia as she turned a bit, shifting the boy to her other hip. "Just tell my brother Chac at the cart ferry to take you over."

"Yes, thank you, but who is it?"

Alana was scanning the crowd, "Hmm..oh…I hadn't met him before. This was his first time here. I… Mok!" She suddenly called out to one of the Tlalakan men; a rather important looking one who was directing the nearby gondolas. She ran over to him and put the boy in his arms. "Take this boy to his grandmother please." she asked him as the child began whining and reaching for her. Ignoring him she walked back into the long dark shadow of the female Autobots. "Sorry. That boy is too young to be out here in this crowd alone." she explained. "Now, where were we?"

"Who wants to talk to me?" Chromia asked again wondering what a "cart ferry" was.

Alana smiled, "Ironhide said he wanted you to find him when you landed. He went down to the beach this morning so I assume that's where he still is."

For a startling moment Chromia was intensely aware of everything around her: the space she occupied and her own body in it, the ground, the air, the light, the planet. Then, slowly, she eased into that name which was as familiar and comforting as the well worn grip of an old gun.

"Ironhide huh?" Chromia said, grinning nonchalantly. "Which way is this 'cart ferry', and how do I know Chac when I see him?"

Alana pointed. But before the Tlalakan woman could give further directions Chromia was transformed and weaving through the bustling aliens, who parted good-naturedly for the blue van. Alana grinned as the impatient vehicle's bumper disappeared into the crowd. Moonracer, meanwhile, had become distracted by a vendor selling hats.

"Can we start our tour now?" The Autobot female asked, reaching out with one large, white hand. On each finger tip was a brightly colored knitted cap.

"Moonracer, it would be an honor. " Alana replied, gesturing proudly at the lively city, "Shall we start with the temple?"

…

The skin on the old Tlalakan woman's arms hung down from her bones in loose flaps. As she waved them to emphasize a dramatic moment in the story she was telling the wrinkly flaps waved back and forth a bit. Her fingers were twisted with age and the veins and bones in her hands stood out as prominently as circuits on a microchip. Perceptor had estimated the Tlalakan elder's age in Earth human years to be approximately eighty-five, though he hadn't yet ascertained whether the Tlalakans aged at a different rate than Earth humans. The children and the adults all called the woman Toci, but no one had explained to Perceptor whether this was a title or the elder's name.

Organic creatures had always fascinated Perceptor. But few fascinated him more than these Tlalakans. They possessed a remarkable means of dissolving their bodies, and forming any new body they desired. Yet they still seemed to age. Whether this Well of Transformation they used lacked the effect to alter the aging process, or whether this was due to a conscious choice on the Tlalakans part Perceptor hadn't yet established. What he wouldn't give for a sample of that water. Perceptor was unaware of any similar phenomena existing on record and he would have given his main focusing lens just to be _told_ how the water was able to effect such a change. But when he had expressed interest in studying The Well directly the Tlalakans had, diplomatically of course, asked him not to. Apparently the sea cave held some religious significance. Perceptor had, out of courtesy to his hosts, abided by their wishes. Though consumed by curiosity, he would have to find some other avenue of study during his brief tenure on Tlal.

And there were many. The intriguing parallels between the Tlalakans and certain Meso-American, Pre-Colombian cultures from Earth, for example. He was having trouble pinning down Tlalakan history with any certainty, a riddle which pleased him greatly. He was having some luck decoding some of the more enigmatic pictures on the walls of the oldest temples in the city. And he had gotten some leads on possible ancient sites on the mainland. But an older hieroglyphic script found only in the undersea city was as yet completely indecipherable. Some of their myths echoed those he had studied on Earth, but there were anomalies that bore no easy explanation; such as the narrative the old woman was currently imparting to the throng of children in the city's nursery.

"But The Person still wouldn't move." Toci continued, resting her wrinkled arms on her knees as she leaned forward on her seat, peering at the crowd of children sitting cross-legged on the floor around her. She glanced occasionally at the large red robot sitting behind them, filling up the whole back end of the room. "The Person just lay on the sea and didn't do anything at all." Her voice was low and reedy. The children were completely spellbound.

"The gods then thought for a long time. 'The Person will not move or do anything,' they said. 'The Person would not move for the light or the dark, the sun or the moon, the sea or the shore, the land or the sky. The whole world moves, but The Person still won't move or do anything. We must do something to make The Person move, or nothing will ever get done.'" The old woman smiled at Perceptor who nodded her on, completely absorbed. He had listened to many of Toci's stories over the years. She was flattered by his quiet and polite audience; though he often asked her strange questions about the stories afterward.

"So the gods took The Person and they broke The Person in half." She gestured as if snapping a stick. "And from that one person, they made two people. The gods made each of the people different. They made two different kinds of people. They made one into a Male Person, and one into a Female Person. Then they put the Male Person and the Female Person back on the earth, but far apart, to watch what they would do.

"And Children, oh, how they moved then!" She exclaimed, throwing her thin, wrinkled arms in the air. "Like Light and Dark they chased each other all around the world. Like the ground and the sky they reached out for each other. Like the sea and the shore they would climb forever to try and be closer. And like the moons and the sun they would sometimes hide from each other." The Tlalakan elder rested her hands on her lap and nodded at the children. "What I have told you is the truth, as my mother told me and her mother told my mother before me."

Perceptor leaned in closer. "Most intriguing," he murmured.

The sea swept its way up the shore darkening the water logged sand on the tide line. With a whisper like a faint roar the wave threw itself as far up the beach as it could, pausing a brief moment before it slipped back, trailing with it the sand and sea muck it pulled from the beaches. Some of that sea muck trailed its way around a large red metal foot, which completely resisted the strong pull of the waves as they sank away from the beach.

Ironhide hadn't found it yet, and he had been looking all morning. A thick cable extended from where the large red Autobot's fist would normally be. The sensor dish on the end of the cable made a faint humming sound as it scanned under the sand, but so far his powerful sonadar had detected no hint of the kind of shell he had been looking for. Ironhide was starting to get a little frustrated. He had seen Omega land in the city, but he had no idea how long it would take Chromia to find him. He did know that he was running out of time. He picked his way along the beach, keeping a keen eye out for any little critters that might get caught underfoot.

Then he saw her. The ferry had apparently dropped her off close to the river's mouth, because she was almost as far down the beach as she could get. The blue female Autobot was shuffling her way through the loose, dry sand farthest from the shore, watching her feet carefully. Ironhide quickly retracted his sonadar dish. He would have to find his shell another day. As he began making his way down the beach Chromia spotted him and waved, her long white arm flashing in the bright Tlalakan sunlight. Ironhide put on what he thought was his winningest lopsided smile and waved enthusiastically back.

_When she gets in my servo's reach, I'm gonna give that she-bot the biggest bear hug of her existence, _Ironhide said to himself as he began to eagerly shorten the distance between them. It had been three years since he'd last held her for a few seconds, and though 'Bots generally don't spend as much time fawning over each other as most organic species, the memory of their brief embrace had stuck with him like the scar from a fusion cannon, but a heck of a lot sweeter.

_But…Er…Maybe just a little hug,_ Ironhide reconsidered as he got closer to the Female Autobot. It _had _been three years, and he had no way of knowing how she would react to such a lively organic-like embrace. He'd spent three years watching humans hug each other, and even do that kissing thing they seemed so fond of, but this was Chromia's first time off Cybertron. Ironhide remembered Kup's old rule, "The longer a 'Bot's around organics, the squishier he gets." _Howsabout a firm handshake to start us off, and then we see how she takes it?…Yeah. _Ironhide decided_. A nice firm handshake._

They were finally close enough that Ironhide could have extended his arm to Chromia and offered her the not too firm but not too wimpy handshake he'd decided on a few astroseconds ago. Only he didn't extend his arm. The old Autobot just smiled and gestured weakly, "Ahhhh…Hey there Chromia." He offered lamely.

Chromia smiled at the battle-scarred 'Bot, pleased to watch him squirm a little by forcing him to be in the driver's seat. _Let's_ _let him run out of words completely before I take the wheel_, Chromia decided.

"It's…Uhhh…It's nice to see you." Ironhide added, not so much uncomfortable with the silence as uncomfortable with Chromia's expectant smile. _She wants me to say something…I just know it. But I don't know __**what**__ it is she wants me to say._

"Yes." Chromia nodded. Ironhide inwardly groaned. _For the sake of copper solenoids, Chromia! Give me more to work offa than 'yes.' _He opened his mouth. He had to say something else.

"Aaaaaaaaahuuuu…." Was all that came out.

Chromia grinned and gave Ironhide a hearty clap on his square grey shoulder. The clang echoed through the trees and frightened several small creatures into flying away. "It's nice to see you too Ironhide, I guess," she said affectionately. "Now was there a reason you wanted to meet me out here in all this sandy stuff?" She gestured to the beach. "What do they call it?"

"Uhh..Sand." Ironhide answered. "And I wanted to meet ya out here…ahhh because…" Ironhide suddenly realized that without the shell he had been looking for he had even less to talk about than usual. "It's a nice planet, kinda like Earth. An I thought you should see it." The bulky red 'bot shifted his weight a little, grinding the sand under his foot plating. He gave Chromia a sheepish grin_. I can trash talk in battle with the best of 'em, but this small talk is killin' me! _Ironhide realized._ Let's just get to the point here. _

As he watched Chromia take in her surroundings the old red 'bot realized he didn't really know what the point was. He just knew he hadn't wanted to meet up with Chromia in the city surrounded by all those friendly but way too talkative Tlalkans. He _did_ have things he wanted to tell her. Eventually. Sometime when he had all the words right. He wanted to tell her he'd missed her. He wanted to tell her that he'd thought of her. He wanted to tell her how relieved he'd been when he'd realized…

"Help! Gods please to send person to help!"

Chromia and Ironhide both stiffened as the low wail drifted from the jungle. "Help to me be sending please!" the pained cry came again, unmistakably organic in origin. Chromia looked up to Ironhide, whose face was grim with concern. She caught his eye and for the moment they didn't need words between them. Ironhide knew just what he needed to say, and this time it came easily. "Hang on there! We're coming to help!" he shouted as they dove into the jungle.

Chromia crashed through the forest, ignoring her surroundings except to avoid those trees too sturdy to easily smash through. So much of this jungle was just big leafy bushes that were crushed without much effort. _Too dense to drive through though_, she realized, _and this ground… it's like running on half-set rubber. _Ironhide was having a harder time. The old 'Bot had been designed for indestructibility, not speed. He'd been slow even in his younger days nearly ten million years ago. Chromia was far ahead of him by the time she reached the organic creature.

It looked like a Tlalakan, a male one, though there was something different about this one that Chromia couldn't quite upload. It was huddled beneath the huge leaves of a fern, shuddering and wheezing like a car with gunked up filters running on empty. When the Tlalakan saw the large blue Autobot approaching he tried retreating further into the fern, grunting with pain at the effort. He appeared to have some bright red substance oozing from his long, dark, tangled hair. Chromia knelt down next to the fern, leaning her arms on the ground to get a better look at the shivering creature.

"No! No! Not to be touching and taking of me! Away to stay!" The man screamed, pressing his back against a tree trunk. Ironhide finally caught up with Chromia and knelt beside her.

"Hey there, little fella. We're not gonna hurt ya." He said slowly, reaching out to the injured Tlalakan with an open hand, palm up, like a human coaxing a shy puppy.

"No! No! No!" the creature screamed as the large grey hand inched closer to him. He tried to get up, but his equilibrium circuits must have been disabled because he fell before he was halfway standing. He feebly batted at the giant hand that delicately encircled him, moaning as he struggled against trithyllium-steel alloy and carbon fibers. He was leaking clear organic coolant from all over his body, but as Ironhide slowly lifted the humanoid he noticed that the creature's skin felt cold. He also saw the red substance leaking from the man's head, but unlike Chromia, Ironhide knew what it was. He examined the half-conscious Tlalakan carefully.

"Chromia, this Tlalakan's hurt real bad." Ironhide said as he gently cradled the tiny fragile being, concern etched deep into his faceplates. "We need ta get him back to the city, and fast." Chromia nodded, staring at the strange man held so carefully in servos that could crush granite effortlessly. The two Autobots began moving quickly through the half squashed jungle; but this time Ironhide chose his steps very carefully so as not to jar the injured Tlalakan he carried close to his chest.

"No… not to taking back of me! No!" The man mumbled. "Not taken to be to a Megatron."

Chromia shot Ironhide a look. "Did he just say what I _thought _he just said?" she asked, hoping against hope that her audio receptors were glitched.

Ironhide stared grimly at the nearly unconscious Tlalakan in his hands. "No way that's good news." he muttered.

_**The Transformers will return right after these messages…**_

Fun Fact: David Wise, writer of such episodes as War Dawn and The Key to Vector Sigma, complains that Transformer's story editor Flint Dille 'gets all the arm candy'.

Source: personal experience, Botcon 2009


	2. Part 2

AUTHORS NOTE: ATTENTION! The new extended edition of the first chapter of this story is now available. RETURN to PART 1 and read the new extended ending before continuing on. Thank you!

_**We now return to The Transformers.**_

_______

"First of all," The caped man said, crossing his arms over his bare, muscular chest, "he's not a Tlalakan."

"What do you mean?" Moonracer asked as she leaned in to study the unconscious alien. Toci shooed the curious robot away from the examining table. The Tlalakan elder was grumpy about being pulled from the nursery to the main temple to see to this stranger, and even grumpier about the robots that currently crowded the temple's main mediroom. With their lofty perspectives couldn't they see that she needed room to work her healing craft in? Perceptor was currently scanning the patient with his light cannon. The old woman knew that _he_ at least was being helpful, but the rest of these robots were only getting in the way.

"He's one of the woodsmen, the Tekuani." Alana explained to Chromia, Ironhide, and Perceptor. The young, important-looking man that Seaspray had transported to the temple gave the wounded woodsman a disdainful look.

"And _they_ are…?" Chromia asked as she watched the elder work on her patient using a combination of the modern equipment of the mediroom and the primitive looking materials she pulled from a basket at her waist.

"They're a community of people who live far upriver, deep in the woods." Seaspray began.

"Wild men, men of fear," The Tlalakan man spat, "They fear the sea, and the oceans, and the Well. Long ago they we're too afraid to seek the knowledge on the other side of the world, too afraid to send messengers through the Well, and so they retreated into the jungle."

Chromia stared down at the regal, angry man. "And who are _you_?"

The Tlalakan smiled imperially up at the Autobot, his eyes flashing under his dark eyebrows. He wore some kind of furred helmet on his dark hair that almost resembled a crown, and unlike other male Tlalakans he wore a short red cape over his shoulders. The man was proud and oozed importance but it didn't seem in his nature to be unkind. "I am Mok." He answered, "I am the Speaker for the Tlalakans in this city. Just as Tlaloc speaks for the city below."

"When we overthrew Deceptitran and were free to explore the deep jungles again we made contact with the Tekuani." Alana cut in, frowning at Mok. "We sent some emissaries back and forth, at first. The injured man is their Speaker. He was the only Tekuani who knew how to communicate in Tlalakan."

"Because he had been spying on us!" Mok interjected, "They had been watching us suffer in slavery for years--they even admitted it!-- but had been too afraid to help us. Even now, they are too afraid to join with us. They fear robots and they fear change, just like their ancestors feared knowledge."

"The talks fell through." Seaspray offered lamely.

"Really?" Ironhide responded sarcastically.

"Away! Shoo you!" Toci snapped at Moonracer who was once again leaning in for a closer inspection, this time staring at the medicine woman herself. Then healer shot a pleading look to Alana from across the mediroom.

"Why don't we finish this conversation in the control room?" Alana suggested. "Give Elder Toci space to work on her patient." The old woman gave a sigh of relief and waved everyone but Perceptor out into the hall.

"You said this Tekuani mentioned Megatron?" Seaspray asked directly to Chromia.

"Oh Yes," she sighed with grave resignation as they entered the city's main control room. "He definitely said Megatron."

All traces of the equipment used to harvest energy from the Tlalakans had been removed from the room but the city's central computer remained as the technological nerve center. Rows of stone benches had been installed facing the computer's screen, giving that half of the room the appearance of a theatre. Moonracer flopped into the throne that still topped the dais in the room, staring up at the sky through large square skylights.

"What else did he say?"

Chromia paused, and tried hard to remember. _I can't have forgotten already…it's only been…_ Chromia was disgusted to realize that she didn't even know how long it _had_ been since they'd found the injured man. All that was left of that morning was a vague blur of sand and trees and mostly the word 'Megatron'. Her processor started to heat up as she ransacked her memory chips for the information but the data was already lost. _I wasn't paying attention! Again!_ The Female Autobot tried to cycle through her humiliation, praying it wasn't showing, but Seaspray still waited expectantly.

"Did he say anything else Chromia?" Seaspray asked again, his voice gargling obnoxiously. "Why don't you recount the entire thing to me from the top. It's very important that we know everything." The little Naval Tactician seemed to be smiling innocently behind his yellow faceplates. Chromia wanted to force-feed the Minibot her knuckles, provided he had a mouth under there.

"Uhhh. Most of what he said didn't make much sense." Ironhide started. "But I'll tell ya what he said." _My savior_, Chromia thought caustically, still fighting off feelings of shame; so overwhelmed with frustration she felt like she was about to blow a gasket. As Ironhide related to everyone else the events that Chromia already couldn't remember the blue Autobot made a discrete beeline for the door. It was a while before anyone tried to follow her.

…

Ironhide eventually found Chromia near the edge of the city. She was standing in robot mode at the edge of a pier facing the ocean without seeing it. He pulled up next to her and transformed as quietly as his gears would allow, waiting near her in patient silence. There were those among the younger Autobots who joked that Ironhide didn't have 'the brightest headlights in the car park' but the tough old 'Bot wasn't dumb, not by a long shot. And he was a heck of a lot more perceptive than Perceptor on most days._ Mosta those guys didn't even think twice about following orders to shoot the real Prime when the Megatron-controlled clone Prime told 'em to, _he reminded himself_. I bet some of 'em even thought those bogus tests we put the two Primes through were real too, instead a bein' a good way to bide our time till the fake Prime made a mistake. _Ironhide grinned to himself._ They just think I'm thick because I know when to keep my mouth shut. _Ironhide knew that _this_ was a time to keep his mouth shut. _She'll talk when she's ready…won't she_? Ironhide looked over to the Female Autobot. Her face was a mask.

"Heya Chromia…" he started. _What are you doin? She'll talk when she's ready!_ he berated himself. "Uhhh…" She turned and looked at him. _She always looks so blasted expectantly!_ "Your processor still acting up?"

_Oh Great Cybertron, what have I said?_ Ironhide would've faced an entire army of centurion drones armed to the teeth and electrum-plated to take back the last five words. Instead his foot was wedged so tight in his mouth, metaphorically speaking, that he doubted if he'd ever get the ball-bearings to talk again. He expected her to blow up, or to storm off, to get angry or defensive. He expected her to yell. Ironhide didn't expect her to look at him with those big blue eyes and ask a question that would've broken his heart if he'd had a suitable equivalent.

"How long's it been Ironhide? I don't remember anymore."

_I think I hate myself forever_, Ironhide realized, _and more than the time I backed over that puppy. _But he had to answer her, and _he_ knew how long. He knew how long to the astrosecond.

"It's been about five and a half million years Chromia. Earth years." _And eighty days. And seven hours. And sixty seconds. Since we found you again._

The Female Autobot looked so lost, facing the waves but not seeing them. "Five million years. I thought…I thought I would be better. By now." Ironhide didn't know how his hand got onto Chromia's shoulder but he was glad it had managed to get up there on its own, since she reached up and held onto it like a lifeline, and he doubted he would've put it up there if he'd thought about it. Ironhide didn't say he was sorry out loud. She accepted his apology.

"Hey. You remember the important stuff right?" Ironhide asked in a joke as gentle as a chamois. Chromia gave his hand a little squeeze before letting it drop.

"Yes, Ironhide, I still remember the important stuff." She said smiling at the ocean as she finally looked at it. Then she whirled about, changing gears suddenly. "Important stuff like kicking Megatron's megaton tranny!" She gave Ironhide a fraternal slap on the shoulder and she began moving back toward the temple. "So let's get to work!"

…

"The main Tekuani towns are located here, and here." Seaspray pointed to areas on the city computer's screen which was projecting an aerial map of the valley. "The villages are located deep in the jungle a few megamiles from the river." he explained to the Autobots and Tlalakans crowded around the computer. Chromia and Ironhide had made their way back to the temple, to find Perceptor, Mok, Alana and Seaspray in deep discussion over the Tekuani Speaker: his injuries, what he had said, and what it could possibly mean. Moonracer was lounging across the throne polishing her little hand pistol and tapping her foot loudly.

"Several hours walk once you get out of the river." Alana added, "The Speaker must have run a very long way. It's a whole day's trip completely on foot."

"If you aren't running from Megatron." Chromia interjected.

"I imagine that woulda sped the fella along a little." Ironhide agreed with a sour grin.

Perceptor examined the map closely, even though it was he himself who had generated it. "We have yet to ascertain whether Megatron, or any Decepticon, is in actuality on this planet. We detected no Decepticon presence," he reminded his comrades.

Ironhide scoffed, "Those villages are out of the city's sensor range, and we weren't exactly looking for Decepticons when we flew in this time." He balled one hand into a fist. "It's pretty plain that something bad's happened to those people out there. And Decepticons or not, we can't ignore it. We at least have to check it out." He looked around the room. No one disagreed with him. "So what are we waitin for? Let's grab Omega and go. He can handle any of the Decepticons any day."

"Tekuani are very frightened of all robots," Alana cautioned, "Autobots, Decepticons, or Droids. No matter what is going on out there your presence will only frighten them further."

"And if Megatron or the Decepticons _are_ there," Seaspray began, "and they _have_ captured Tekuani people, then innocent civilians could be harmed if the Decepticons find out Autobots are investigating. He's used humans as shields or diversions before, there's no reason to think he won't do it again."

"Yeah," Ironhide agreed somewhat grudgingly, "I guess he did toss Spike outta a rocket ship that one time, just for spite."  
"Who's Spike?" Moonracer asked from her throne.

"Earth kid we know. Wears a funny yellow hat. Ya can't miss 'im." Ironhide curtly explained before getting back to the task at hand. "So what do _you_ suggest we do?" He asked Perceptor.

"We could ask the Tekuani when he wakes up." Moonracer suggested, "He could tell us what's going on, if they need our help."

Alana shook her head, "While Toci has assured me that the Tekuani Speaker will be fine, she also said it may be several days before he is well enough to tell us all that we need to know. He was very tired Toci said. Almost like he'd been drained of energy."

Mok held up a hand to get the attention of the Autobots. "If you decide to go to help the Tekuani, Autobots, that is fine. But do not expect any assistance from my warriors," he declared sternly. "The Tekuani refused to assist us for centuries, and then rejected an alliance because they were too blinded by fear and ignorance to see the difference between Autobot and Decepticon. I have sent word to Tlaloc and we are in agreement. We will offer them no aid now." The room was silent. The only sound was Moonracer's tapping foot.

Perceptor had been brainstorming. In the few minutes that they had been discussing he had formulated no less than one hundred twelve different possible stratagems, though admittedly many of these plans were simply variations on a similar theme. It was actually rather below average for him given the breadth and depth of available information and the amount of time he had been cogitating. But that was because only one plan of action would both discharge the group's immediate needs and also finally satisfy one niggling facet of his acute curiosity.

"I believe I have a plan." Perceptor announced. Ironhide relaxed, both relieved to know that the brilliant scientist had come up with a plan, taking the pressure off the senior officer there, and resigned to the frustrated boredom he was doomed to feel as the entire plan was relayed to him in all of Perceptor's verbose excesses.

"Well…" He said, not quite hiding his reluctance, "Let's hear it."

Moonracer sighed and made herself comfortable in her throne.

…

Alana stood on the damp stones looking up at Ironhide, Chromia, Moonracer, Seaspray, and Perceptor. She was trying her best to explain to the five Autobots what they were getting into. Seaspray, of course, already had been through this, but that wasn't exactly common knowledge. The slender Tlalakan woman pointed to the glowing pool of liquid behind her which was the only source of light in the large dark cave. The Autobots, with their supersensitive audio receptors, could faintly hear the roaring of the mighty stepped waterfall as it crashed down the mountain above them.

"This," she explained, "Is The Well of Transformation. It allows our people to change from our two-legged land form to our undersea form." She gestured to Chac, her brother, who had also agreed to help. The Tlalakan man looked very similar to her. He had the same angular features with darker hair, but his personality was more meditative and philosophical. He was a thinker not a leader. With a smile and a wave he demonstrated The Well to the Autobots by jumping into the glowing water. There was a flash of light and a glowing orb appeared above the surface, quickly coalescing into a shimmering outline, then a body, and then Chac reappeared, but changed. In place of his legs was a dark green tail like that of a fish. "This is what The Well is most commonly used for," Alana continued, "and it is this transformation that is the easiest for my people, who feel equally at home in either body. But The Well can be used to form whatever body we choose, whatever body we think of."

"You mean The Well could turn me into anything? An organic? Another robot? A _boy_ robot?" Moonracer exclaimed.

Alana laughed, "Not quite. Since The Well dissolves the body and only leaves the essence it is very difficult to create a body that is drastically different from your true essence. It takes much more concentration, and the transformation itself takes longer. Even then the transformation is often imperfect. Little bits of your true self have a way of finding their way in. Even with the easiest transformations it is important to focus on what you want to turn into." She looked at them seriously, "If you do not focus properly the best case scenario is that you will simply turn into what you were before. Your essence knows what its home should be, and your true body is always the one you will feel most comfortable in. So it may try reverting to that instead of becoming something different."

"What's the _worst_ case scenario if we don't focus properly?" Ironhide asked, looking at Chromia.

"The worst case scenario is that your essence will be unable to form a new body and it will eventually dissipate and disappear." Chac answered gravely.

"And what happens then?" Chromia asked.

"Then you're dead," Alana said. Then she smiled, "But you shouldn't have to worry. That is really only a concern for very small children who haven't developed a clear sense of self yet. A person with a well defined sense of self and a strong essence shouldn't have any problem forming their own body again."

Ironhide grunted, "Why are we doing this again? Why aren't we just sending some Tlalakans to scout it out?"

Perceptor wagged a finger academically, "As I've explained before, three times I believe, I have discovered that there are some major, as well as minor, physiological differences between Tekuani and Tlalakans, especially in the amount of energy they contain in their organic systems. Though I do believe they shared a common ancestral group in the last…"

"I didn't ask for a history lesson Perceptor," Ironhide grumbled, "I asked why we're the one's using The Well to turn into tiny squishy scouts instead of asking the tiny squishy scouts who are used to using The Well."

Alana frowned and shook her head, "Even if you could find some Tlalakans other than my brother and I who would be willing to go on this mission I doubt if you could find ones skilled enough in use of The Well to be able to turn into Tekuani."

"If they wouldn't be able to do it, then why do you think we would be any better at it?" Moonracer asked.

Alana turned to Chac who did a leisurely backfloat in the pool as he tried to figure out how best to explain. "Perceptor is right," He started, "Tekuani are very close to Tlalakans, so close that you would have to focus very carefully on the differences between them to transform from one to the other. As we've said, your essence wants to go back to its true body. So the closer you are trying for to something like your own body the harder it is to come out with any differences at all. If you are focusing on something radically different from your own body, but something that is still who you are in essence, it is actually easier."

Ironhide nodded without really understanding, "Uhh huh. So how do we do this thing?"

"Just enter the pool and think of becoming a Tekuani." Perceptor sighed.

"But I don't know any Tekuani." Ironhide said, frustrated. "Just the one guy we saved."

"Thinking of a human will be close enough." Perceptor replied, "The important thing is not to be a Tlalakan. They have very high organic energy levels, high enough to be noticed by the Decepticons."

"I'll try it first." Seaspray offered. _How many times have I done this now?_ he wondered. He couldn't help but grin a little as he waded into the pool. It's not like anyone but Alana could really tell when he was smiling. He slipped beneath the surface, feeling the familiar warm sensation, then the weightlessness as his bulky clumsy robot mode was dissolved away. _This time_, he decided as his new body began to form, _I'll come out with normal feet, normal, squishy, pink feet. _The glow subsided and Seaspray looked down. His feet did look organic shaped, they even had little sandals on them, but they were still very blue and very metal. Seaspray gave Alana a hopeless grin and he shrugged, hoping the gesture would be written off as general instead of being specifically directed to the Tlalakan woman. Alana shook her head and rolled her eyes, smiling as no one watched her.

"What does it feel like?" Moonracer asked leaning over the blond-haired, blue eyed, organic creature that was the Autobot Naval Tactician. She wasn't the only one who was shocked when he answered in his usual, bubbly, voice.

"Well, it doesn't hurt, if that's what you're wondering. Go ahead Moonracer, give it a try."

Moonracer could hardly hide her enthusiasm, which was a good thing since it completely covered up her fear. Turning into an organic creature sounded exciting, having your directionless essence disappear into the dark humid air of an alien sea cave didn't sound quite as thrilling. Still, she put on a brave, eager face as she felt the warm slick water closing over her head, and she thought of the humans that she had seen on the computer back on Cybertron. _Oh_, she realized as her circuits dissolved away, _I forgot to pick a color!_

It was only when the shining outline that was Moonracer's essence completely solidified in its new body that Chromia unclenched her fists. _Good_ she thought, choking down the strong feeling of relief she felt, _I would hated to have had to explain that to Elita One. _Then she sighed as she got a better look at the younger Autobot who was sloshing her way out of the pool's shallows.

"Blast it Moonracer, you picked the wrong color! Tlalakans don't come in brown!"

Moonracer was busy examining herself, from her green garment, to her sandals, to her masses of plushy brown ringlets. But mostly she was admiring her caramel brown skin. "They don't?" she asked as she poked herself in the nose. "Wow." She exclaimed, "They really are squishy." Chromia felt her gears grind as she clenched her fists again.

Perceptor waved Chromia down, "I hardly expect that the Decepticons will notice a matter so trivial. The important thing is that her energy readings are normal for a Tekuani."

"Alright, let's do this." Ironhide said and waded stiffly into The Well. This did seem to be their best chance of finding out what was going on without putting any of the Tekuani in more danger. But as he caught a last glimpse of Chromia as his head went under he couldn't help but feel strong reservations. It was easy enough for him to think of humans, and he simply ignored the weird feelings of warmth and lightness. Then he was in a body again, and though it felt different he could already sense that it would respond to his commands. He looked down. _Two arms, two legs, ten fingers, ten foot-fingers, weird red cloth stuff. Alright, I think this'll work._

Moonracer pointed, "Now _that_ they might notice." Ironhide followed her finger down to see an upside down grumpy looking red face staring up at him. There was a large Autobot symbol on the center of his broad, bare chest like a red birthmark. The old Autobot ran his strong fleshy fingers through short ruddy hair peppered with silver, a little embarrassed at his failure.

"Ahhh…sorry 'bout that. Let me try again."

Alana grabbed his thick arm as he headed back for The Well. "Don't bother about it Ironhide. If it showed up on your body it is obviously a very strong part of your essence. We'll just cover it up somehow."

Perceptor turned to Chromia, who was staring down at the broad little man that was Ironhide. "You should proceed now Chromia. That way I will be able to scan your new body to make certain you have the correct energy levels."

Chromia didn't say anything, and she only hesitated for a second, a second she used to choke down the panic threatening to overwhelm her. _Focus Autobot, focus!_ she practically shouted to herself as her white metal feet ground against stone, propelling her toward the eerily glowing pool. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something sinister about its light. Her circuits tingled a little when she stepped into The Well, as if the water was actually energy. She waded in waist deep then turned to face the group. Her feet scraped against the edge of the drop off, a tunnel leading straight down into the watery darkness, a channel to the open sea. _Remember Chromia, focus. Focus on humans._ The water began glowing brightly all around her. She looked at Ironhide. Little, human Ironhide, who still somehow looked so much the same. _I've never seen him look so worried,_ Chromia wondered. He caught her eye and she gave him a terrified smile that was supposed to be reassuring before she let herself fall off the edge and slip beneath the surface.

As the light of The Well's energy flared up in the cave Alana gave Seaspray a nudge and pointed discretely to Ironhide, who was at the pool's very edge. Ironhide was used to a mechanical body, one lacking in the very fine musculature that an organic creature possessed. Concern that would have been barely perceptible when he was a robot, was now etched deeply into the creases and lines of his human face as he watched the glowing orb begin to take shape. Seaspray gave Alana a knowing smile, and then a wink.

She took a little longer than Moonracer or Ironhide had, but the glowing outline that was Chromia finally solidified. As she sloshed out of the water the Female Autobot sighed in relief, trying to ignore the strange whooshing feeling in her throat as she did so. It was rather disorienting, having the ground suddenly so close. The water felt different, and the ground felt different, and there was that weird hair stuff all over her head. She was suddenly aware of how cold it was in the cave. With all the new sensations to take in it was a while before she realized that everyone was staring at her. Well everyone except for Seaspray. The blond man was staring pointedly at a stalagmite.

"Uhhh Chromia." Moonracer started, slowly.

Chromia was suddenly frightened that she had really messed the transformation up. Visions of horrible fleshy deformities flashed through her brain unbidden, and she quickly looked down to see what everyone was staring at.

"Oh." She said. Embarrassed without really knowing the reason why.

"Chac" Alana hissed, "Go get Chromia a blanket."

"Chromia you forgot your clothes!" Moonracer exclaimed, clapping her little soft hands together, obviously delighted. Chac quickly changed to his bipedal form and ran from the cave watching his feet _very_ carefully. Ironhide was now staring at the same stalagmite as Seaspray, and had to resist the weird urge to punch the Naval Tactician in the jaw. He just clenched his fleshy fists and glared up Perceptor, who was scanning the nude and shivering Chromia with absolute scientific shamelessness.

"You appear to have a normal energy reading, Chromia, though your left hand seems to be anomalous." Perceptor held his jaw and considered the creature that barely came up to his knee joints, "I do not believe that it should be noticeable from a distance though."

Chromia held up both of her hands in front of her face. While her right hand was pale pink and squishy, her left arm did appear to be different. From the elbow down it was her old white robotic arm, though completely in scale with the rest of her new body. She squinted at it. _Well if that's the only thing that's 'anomalous' then I'd say I did a pretty good job._ Chromia thought to herself as Chac handed her a blanket, staring at a point directly above and behind her head.

As Chromia wrapped the soft blanket around her shoulders, they heard a splash. Perceptor had not just walked into The Well, he had leapt in, unable to resist the new experience any longer. A few moments later he exited the water already poking and prodding his new organic body. He wrapped his light brown hair around his finger and tugged, then began counting his own ribs and examining the ties of his sandals.

"Facinating." He murmured. "It's nothing like I had anticipated."

Ironhide rolled his eyes, something he'd been longing to try out for years. He was surprised that it kinda hurt. "Alright enough of this," he barked, "there're people out there that need our help, so let's get to it."

He clapped Chromia on the shoulder as the group exited the cave. He was startled by how fragile and pliable her shoulder felt under his hand, and for a split second he considered leaving it there, not knowing why.

Chromia smiled at him. Round wet eyes framed with tiny hairs, two holes in her pink upturned nose, nubby white teeth behind pink fleshy lips, slick blond locks falling to her shoulders: she looked so different. Yet she still looked like Chromia. "It's not so bad, is it Ironhide?"

He shot her his lopsided grin, "Naw, nothin' we can't live with for a coupla hours."

"Whoooo hooooo!" Moonracer shrieked as she ran out of the cave and into the forest. "I can feel myself _breathing_!" she wheezed. She attempted to turn a cartwheel in the ankle deep grass and fell flat on her back, laughing until she was hoarse.

Seaspray and Alana were the last to exit the cave, lingering in the entrance's shadow for an instant, out of sight of the others. Just long enough for Seaspray to take the Tlalakan woman in his arms and do that kissing thing that organics seem so fond of. The closest Autobot to them, Perceptor, was too busy ascertaining which structures of the neck he could identify upon palpitation alone to notice that there were stragglers.

Chromia was beginning to think the hair stuff on her head wasn't really that bad. The wind rushing through it was like nothing she'd ever experienced. She closed her eyes, which was another novel sensation, and felt the cool breeze blow over her skin.

"This feels so…" Moonracer started saying from the prow of the boat, but she trailed off, for once at a loss for words; though she hadn't been at a loss for nonverbal whooping and hollering for the last hour.

Chac and Alana had managed to commandeer three of the new motorized gondolas from the city, as well as some clothes for Chromia. They had met back up with the transformed Autobots at the mouth of the river, and the seven of them were now speeding upstream as fast as the light wooden boats could go.

"Do you like it?" Chac asked from the rudder, grinning at the Female Autobot as he steered.

"Ohhh I love it!" Moonracer exclaimed, throwing her arms up to feel the air rushing between her fingers. Chromia shook her head with a little smile, her eyes still closed, seeing the red warm sunlight through her eyelids. "Ohhh Oh Look Chromia! Look Look!"

Chromia opened her eyes to see what Moonracer was shouting about. "Ironhide's waving back! Chromia don't you see he's waving back?" Chromia looked at the boat speeding along a shuttlecraft's length away from them. Ironhide was riding with Seaspray. The Autobot man wearing the oversized pectoral ornament was not waving, but when he saw the girls looking over to them he did smile. Then he gestured to the boat gliding over the water on the other side of him.

Perceptor was obviously talking, though what exactly he was saying was swallowed up by the wind and the sounds of the motors. What Perceptor couldn't see from his position at the prow was that Alana at the rudder wasn't listening at all. She was staring into the other two boats with a look of bored desperation.

"Poor Alana." Moonracer laughed.

"She won't have much longer to listen." Chac answered, "We're almost there."

When they'd gotten as close to the villages as the river would take them they stopped and dragged two of the gondolas on shore. They would have to travel the rest of the way on foot.

"We have a radio transmitter," Seaspray said to Alana, who was getting into the third gondola with her brother, "We'll be able to contact you if we run into trouble." The Tlalakan bit her lip anxiously.

"Be careful." She cautioned, looking at Seaspray.

"We will!" Moonracer chirped, stretching her long brown legs. She waved as Chac and Alana headed back down river.

The five organic Autobots moved as quickly as their much shorter legs would allow them through the green leafy forest. Seaspray and Perceptor took the lead, as they were the ones who knew the way. It was fairly pleasant going at first. Moonracer was treating it more like a nature walk than a stealth mission and Perceptor craned his head this way and that constantly taking in his surroundings. But before long their organic limbs began to tire, and the heat and humidity of the jungle made them sweat which none of them found pleasant, though Perceptor found it 'fascinating'.

Finally Seaspray made a motion for them to halt. The Autobots circled up and he spoke to them in a hushed, gurgled voice, which sounded so strange coming from his chiseled human face. "We're very close to the largest Tekuani villiage." He whispered. "We need to be very quiet." He looked pointedly at Moonracer.

"We'll take this slow." Ironhide added in a low voice, and Chromia could feel his hot breath on her arm. The group spread out a little, yet remained within eyeshot of each other, and began creeping through the jungle. Ironhide could see a large clearing ahead, and was just beginning to make out some buildings, and maybe a cliff or rock formation beyond them, when he heard a too familiar voice that made all the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He ignored the strange sensation as he strained to make out the words. Not that he really needed to. He'd heard this speech before. Ironhide caught sight of Chromia crouched far to his left. She looked to him for confirmation on what she already suspected and he nodded grimly. She dropped her face into her palm. Ironhide shook his head at the words coming from the clearing. _It's always the same damn speech…_

"With this army of slaves working under my control," the voice rasped, "soon I shall have a weapon powerful enough to defeat Optimus Prime and the Autobots and take control of this planet! Then I'll take control of Earth, and then Cybertron. Then the universe will tremble before the might of _Megatron_!"


End file.
